Chapter 646 - 630: Exposure

The emergency meeting lasted for three hours, with two breaks in between, and then, as was customary, they held a smaller, less attended meeting in the evening.

Lin Ju, whose lower back ached from sitting too long, counted the people still in the meeting room and found that, including himself, only six remained.

Zhong Cheng was the first to break the rules by lighting a cigarette. After taking several deep drags and exhaling a large cloud of smoke, he slouched in his chair, squinting his eyes:

"We talked a lot this afternoon, but the consensus is just this, wait and see, let the higher-ups make a decision.

But that’s normal. A matter this significant isn’t for us to decide. However, we need to prepare in advance to be less passive.

I want you all to consider a question first, why did NACA choose targets like Jupiter, Saturn, and even the farthest Neptune, which are so distant from the Solar System?"

"It’s unclear, I believe NACA’s experts must have explained how difficult it is to reach those places, but John still managed to deliver a public speech. This indicates they have a unified internal consensus that has emboldened them to undertake such a venture.

Even if they’re deceiving us, the visible investment in the plan must be substantial, right? The cost..."

Academician She, still full of energy, had hardly spoken during the previous meeting, clearly conserving his energy for the current situation.

He Tang said, "But beyond Mars, only the satellites of those giant planets have any landing value, Mercury and Venus don’t even have landing conditions... I do think they’re aiming too high though. It would be difficult for even us to get there. Have they said they’re giving up on Mars landings? Do they really have the resources to spare for those ventures?"

"Unless..."

Lin Ju, already a bit drowsy from knowing the truth in advance, unusually took the initiative to speak up to shake off his sleepiness:

"If you want to do it in the most economical way, you can build a larger spacecraft with more supplies, passing by Mars and then Jupiter before returning, completing two landing missions in one go.

Like the space station the size of March, coupled with XN90, it’s possible to some extent."

He Tang asked, "But does America have that?"

"Not now, but it won’t be long. Although Starship wasn’t successful, converting it into an expendable rocket to guarantee a launch every month is not a problem, and achieving that isn’t difficult.

Starship could be successful within 10 years. If it’s also converted to nuclear power, it’s not impossible to carry out such a plan."

Lin Ju, well prepared, started to discuss the various preliminary studies NACA was conducting, almost convincing everyone.

However, at this point, Zhong Cheng unexpectedly spoke up:

"One more thing, in recent discussions with those from the Ying Aerospace Bureau, they mentioned NACA has suddenly requested data and system logs from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express detector. It seems they’ve also increased their attention to Mars Express.

NACA’s stated reason is to enhance exploration of the asteroid belt and deep space using the Mars detector, which seems a bit related to the Constellation project."

Zhong Cheng glanced inadvertently at Lin Ju as he spoke, who responded by silently leaning back in his chair, appearing to be deep in thought.

The others couldn’t immediately connect these two pieces of information and continued to discuss things methodically for a while before dispersing around 10 o’clock.

Lin Ju walked, head down, to the underground parking garage and found that Zhong Cheng, who had just headed toward the office, was also there, and his car was parked next to his own. It looked like he was gathering his things, getting ready to leave.

Lin Ju greeted him out of habit, but Zhong Cheng called him to a stop.

Only then did Lin Ju notice the cigarette in his hand. He didn’t remember Zhong Cheng being so fond of smoking, but then again, it could just be because it wasn’t working hours.

The garage lighting was dim, making the glow of the cigarette flame appear bright, with details visible within it.

"What’s up, Director Zhong?"

"Nothing much, just suddenly remembered something. That... Departure Fire Detector should be arriving soon, right?"

"Ah... it’s still early, at least until October. It’s only halfway there since the last trajectory correction a few days ago."

Lin Ju woke up from his drowsiness, trying to keep his voice casual.

The Departure Fire Detector had launched with a simple beacon over 100 kilograms to simulate the real detector’s signals after leaving Earth’s orbit, and it was still working normally. So he didn’t think there would be any issues.

It was normal to be concerned about Departing Fire, right...

Zhong Cheng pinched out his cigarette with his fingertips, standing opposite Lin Ju, neither able to see the other’s face clearly.

"That’s good. But the Departing Fire is also our closest detector to Mars, with a massive 60-centimeter lens array. We could get a few photos sent back when you have time, given the ample transmission power of its nuclear systems."

Lin Ju couldn’t shake the feeling he heard a teasing tone in the words.

At the same time, his back tensed involuntarily, and his neck grew stiff.

In theory, of course that would be possible. But in reality... the "Departing Fire" in flight was just a simple radio transponder.

With no room left for refusal, just as Lin Ju was about to force a smile to respond, Zhong Cheng suddenly grabbed his arm and squeezed it twice, chuckling:

"Just kidding. With such high speeds, the lens needs to be protected from damage by micro-meteorites. You should take better care of yourself though, your muscles are all tense. Without regular exercise, your muscles stiffen if you sit in one position too long. We used to soak in hot baths frequently in the military. But I recommend acupuncture, it works wonders. The military hospital specializes in it; you can go any time, and I make sure to go once a week.

Well... I’m off, get some good rest."

Lin Ju had no recollection of how Zhong Cheng left, only realizing that his clothes were stickily clinging to his body and his joints ached with every movement as he sat on the bed.

He was no longer socially naive; his instincts told him Zhong Cheng had specifically stayed behind to wait for him, with a purpose he least wanted to face:

The anomaly with Departing Fire had been discovered. It was unclear how much was known, but Zhong Cheng certainly knew the device heading to Mars wasn’t the real detector; otherwise, he wouldn’t have probed like that.

But the direct management of "Departing Fire" was the base’s responsibility, only using the aerospace bureau’s monitoring network and sharing data regularly. In addition, a strictly defined and continuously improved plan had been in place from the start, so there shouldn’t have been the chance for a leak, let alone a mole.

This uncertain and ambiguous situation forced him to think hard, not knowing how long it took before he picked up his phone to compose a secret message.

After a long time drafting, the message sent received a reply within a minute. Only when he saw Xie Liaofu’s acknowledgment did he realize it was already 3 a.m.

"We are all aware of the situation; we’ve deployed ’Mountain and Sea’ to conduct a comprehensive screening and will provide a response by 6 a.m. Keep in touch at all times—Xie Liaofu."